Jeremiah 14: 19
We wait for peace, to no avail; for a time of healing, but terror comes instead.
You're going to get to see the geeky side of me for a minute. I love the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I think I love that good triumphs over evil. My favorite scenes are the epic battles. There are moments where I'm shouting (in my head of course), There's an ork right behind you! How are these guys winning? Who taught these orks how to fight? Seriously, there are times when the good guys are surrounded and way outnumbered, but somehow, even though danger is coming at them from the left, right, center and behind, (and sometimes from the air!) they win.
It feels like that now, doesn't it? We're looking around waiting for peace, seeking rest and healing, but instead we turn on the TV or radio or pop open our news feed and see that another attack or shooting has happened. I had a horrible dream Sunday night. We were being attacked in my little suburb - the place no one knows except for it's sink holes. All I could do was grab my boys and try to figure out how to keep them safe. When I woke up my heart was racing and I couldn't shake the fear. I just repeated - Jesus I trust in you. That dream proved to me that no matter how much I try to tune it out and push it away, the way of the world today is seeping in and scaring me. Is it the same for you?
But what do we do when the evil seems so out of control? I feel like a broken record - saying WE need to be the peace that people are waiting for. We need to be a hand outstretched with healing. But that's what Jeremiah did - he kept pleading with God, even when God told him to stop interceding. So don't stop praying. And don't stop looking for tangible ways to bring good into the world. Never underestimate the power of a tiny act of love. And if you're not doing anything but having bad dreams and worrying - stop. Remind yourself that you are a child of God and he calls us to have courage.
